Decorating

So remember when I said that our carpet was likely older that me? Well, I don’t think that is far from the truth. Carpet should not have suffered through this many renters, their pets and lack of Martha-style housekeeping. We jumped right in this weekend, myself adorned with a bank robber-style bandana. Our muscles now ache from pulling out carpet, padding, tack strips and staples from two bedrooms and a hallway. (Of course I had help, but I was on special duty scrubbing stuck-on padding.) What we found underneath was nothing short of disgusting.

One one hand, we are grateful to have launched removal of an allergy suffer’s worst nightmare. On the other, the floors are badly stained and the renters (us), a bit disappointed. We invested in an industrial-sized vat of Murphy’s Oil Soap and have done what we could to at least make the floors as clean as possible. We realize though, we’re renters. We “could” split the bill with our landlord to have the floors refinished, but we would effectively have to move our entire house into the garage for a week to have that done. Fun, eh?

For the time being, we put the two stripped rooms back to normal. Rugs in place, the floors don’t look that bad. There is certainly an air of freshness (and Murphy’s) about. We’re all eager to keep going and discover the secrets waiting for us beneath the carpet in our bedroom and the living room.

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For those of you that have followed me from decorating my first house to adjusting in a rented condo to moving across the country, it’s time for a new adventure in nesting.

When I started dating my now husband, he was living in a small three bedroom, one bath house with carpet that is likely older than me. While an upgrade from the basement of my own home, I had hoped the more affordable midwest had something a little nicer in store for us. One of the conditions of moving in was that we would move after the first year. And therefore, we just wouldn’t unpack any of my stuff until then.

Well, the time has come. We started looking on Craigslist in February and have toured several houses in our price range. Every single one was more than we pay now and smaller. Some were smaller and nicer, others were small and less nice! Nicer sounds great, but smaller is definitely not what we were looking for. We were even hoping to find a four bedroom. And of course, a basement is essential for our two merged houses.

So it looks like we’re staying put for at least two more years. And surprising to even me, I’m totally excited. This enthusiasm comes from one new-found piece of information. This news likely would have changed my opinion of this house from the get-go.

Yesterday, with staying in mind, we called our landlord to ask if she would go half on new carpet. During this discussion, she agreed. She also said that underneath our completely nasty, ancient carpet were hardwood floors! Holy s*%$ batman – hardwoods! How come nobody told me sooner? This changed everything. With some fresh paint on the walls, a really thorough cleaning/ decluttering and HARDWOOD FLOORS, this place could be great. A perfect not-so-big house!

Though I am terrified of the enormity of work ahead for us, I finally feel like we’re moving forward. Stay tuned for photos and stories of the transformation. Tomorrrow I’ll start shooting some of the befores as we dig into the first box. We’re going to focus on leveraging everything we already own, with only a few minor purchases here and there. I can’t wait and I hope you’ll join me on this new journey from house to home!

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I now own a La-Z-Boy. It’s a good thing they did a major style-overhaul, because this ain’t your grandpa’s chair. First of all, its not a recliner. And second, it does not look like a giant stuffed sausages formed into a seating apparatus. Last and most important, Annika likes it and The Queen knows all.

The Queen on her throne

The living room – see The Queen admiring her throne

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